How to Delete Hiberfil.sys (Hibernation) File in Windows PC

We guess that you have noticed a gigantic hiberfil.sys file listed on your system drive. If you’re wondering delete it to free up some space but have no idea on how get rid of it. This article will explain what's hiberfil.sys and how to delete hiberfil.sys file to free-up hard drive space in Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP.

What is hiberfil.sys file

hiberfil.sys is a system file used by Microsoft Windows to save the machine's current state.

Windows provides two options for users to quickly boot into Windows and resume their work. These options include Sleep and Hibernate. Sleep puts your work and settings in memory and drains a small amount of power. Hibernate puts your opening documents and running programs on your hard disk to the hibernation file(C:\hiberfil.sys), this allows your computer to turn off entirely, it uses zero battery power.

Hibernate is a power-saving state designed for laptop, hibernation feature is turned on by default on most Windows 10 PCs and but it doesn’t show up in power menu by default. On Windows 10, it can be added to the Start menu power button, see how to enable hibernate in Windows 10 guide.

How to delete hiberfil.sys file in Windows 10/8/7/Vista

The default size of hiberfil.sys varies depending on the amount of RAM installed on your PC. By default, hiberfil.sys file takes 75 percent of your physical memory. To free up disk storage space, you can disable hibernate mode on your PC, so that delete hiberfil.sys file. Here's how:

Press Windows key to focus on Search bar, type in cmd, then right-click it select Run as administrator.

Step 2: In the Prompt, type the following command and then press Enter key.

Powercfg -h off

This command immediately disables hibernate mode, so Hibernation option missing from your shut down menu. And you’ll see that the hiberfil.sys file has been deleted.

Once you disabled hibernation, you would lose the benefits of fast boot. If you would like to enable hibernate mode again, just revisit the Command Prompt with administrator privilege and use this command: